"Refractive Mirroring: An Innovative Approach in Teaching English Language"

INTRODUCTION

The COVID 19 pandemic has struck many establishments and institutions

resulting in a major change in the way of life. Businesses, government services, schools

and the like are just samples of how this pandemic reshapes the essence of their way of

management (Daniel, 2020). As a result, of this situation, many establishments still to

this day struggle to coup up with the situation and some are even forced to adapt the

traditional culture of their services to the new normal living. Unfortunately, augmenting

in the study of Pfefferbaum and North about Mental Health and the Covid-19 Pandemic

(2020), the evaluation shows that most individuals are still struggling with this situation

since maintaining that standpoint and innovating it band-aids the situation instead of fully

progressing towards adopting to the said new normal situation. Mukhtar et al. in their

recommendations (2020) suggest a redirection of a new approach is highly recommended

in this situation that is completely compatible and convenient the situation. Incorporating

this from the educational standpoint, both studies coherently reflect the result that new

specific approaches, techniques and strategies are fitted and suited to the situation.

Consider Janna Anderson and Lee Rainie’s Concerns about the future of people’s well-

being (2018) supporting the claims of Anais Kin of We do not see the world as it is, We

see the World as We are is an emphasis on initiating new developmental ideas on

handling the situation instead of applying same concepts in different approaches thus, the

bible verse (New American Bible Version, 2012, Mt. 9:17) of “You cannot put new wine

in old skins” comes into place because the situation as per initiated by COVID 19 started
fresh which results to various evaluative researches for developing action plans and

innovations. Yet, considering the educational standpoint as stated and requires new

approaches, does this also complies with every setting in the reality of adaptability or

does the situation demands new approaches that will fully remedy the new way of

teaching in the COVID 19 Pandemic. Consider these results and understood what the

educational world demands.

In the paper, Tarkar titled Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic On Education System

(2020) the observation follows that adaptability and interactive gatherings are the missing

elements in the new normal resulting in an intensive academic pressure among

individuals in learning the ideas. This right here sees the researcher as an imbalance

oversight of harmony between the cognitive, affective and psychomotor aspects of

learning as one. Taguines (2005) in her dissertation about Prediction Models of School-

Based Management, Teaching Behavior and Professionalism supports this as a lack of

connectivity and reflection among individuals for these 2 variables forms trust and

authentic growth among individuals. As an observation, the emphasis on the affective

domain is suited to fully utilize the total performance of individuals, a focus on a

structural basis can immobilize the total growth and full potential of individuals.

Consider the research of Qurotul Aini et al. (2020) about Exploring E-learning

Challenges During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review because of misbalancing

the 3 taxonomies into 1, the student is only forced to master the lesson itself in a short

matter rather than embedded the idea itself as part of one student's life as a pearl of

wisdom in using it in daily living thus, theories like Celce and Murcia or Wilkins that

develops affective domain strategies like Desuggestopedia or Communicative Learning

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or just recently Joaquin (2020) in his symposium about Teaching Ethics in the New

Normal Education developed a pedagogy and andragogy called the Community of

Inquiry that harmonizes the 3 which makes affective the balance factor for partnership

pedagogical approach between teachers and students. However, the study by Galas titled

Online Learning Modality and Innovative English Language Teaching Strategies in the

New Normal (2021) sees that interaction is sometimes taken for granted as the new

normal is filled with a tempting situation to demotivate students in learning. The research

critically sees the point of Ong (2017) for Desuggetopedia, Communicative Learning or

Community of Inquiry only address the student as partners overlooking individual's

totality, especially in the setting of virtual classrooms which most of these researchers use

as a research variable, this can be seen as a problem for their surroundings can be a

hurdle because approaches need something more flexible which Joaquin himself admits

in his symposium that it can only address the interested ones but not how one interested

student can be interested. All evaluative research suggests that all these ideas need

humanistic and caring support, especially in the virtual classes which results in mental

health activities in all aspects of the curriculum as its battle cry. Not to mention, Santos

and Miguel (2020) in their research The Discussion of Communicative Language

Teaching Approach in Language Classrooms elaborate on the findings to be

collaborative and teaching unites as one to connect, reflect and coordinate one another

however, one thing noticed in their research is mainly focusing on the cognitive aspect

where those who fully gets the lesson only becomes one who leads the learning process

and giving chances to those who struggles in learning is being bypassed. Thus, Abanes

(2019) in his symposium on Philosophy for Children or P4C suggests the 4 C's

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incorporates in developing new pedagogical approaches; Collaboration, Creativity,

Critical and Care. Thus, the researcher addresses these things from all the results in the

formation of Refractive Mirroring.

Refractive Mirroring by the researcher is originally a Philosophical idea in the

aspect of the Human Person that solely focuses on human acts connecting to others

understanding their strengths and weakness as well as connecting and refracting with

them towards all aspects of their attributes and totality. However, the great thing about

this idea is it is adjustable in all applicative Philosophies from languages, literature,

education, religion, gaming and the like. Focusing on the said issues stated in the

problem, Refractive Mirroring as an Approach in the implication of education is a

Philosophical idea where the teacher and student 2 becoming 1 and 1 becoming 2 in

learning together through succession. That means to say, the teacher connects with the

student's totality then when one already connects with it, trust builds which highly

requires Care as their process specifically, Creative and Connective Care where the

researcher both defines this as understanding the personality, weaknesses and intellectual

and social likes of an individual then reciprocal follows developing an enhance better

version of self in a newer version. In the seminary formation, DeWitt, Dorothy et. al

(2022) in their works connecting to the seminary formation exposes his way of teaching

in this strategy. The first element is strictly focusing on each individual’s weaknesses and

does not stop until the weakness is mitigated and transformed into strength which the 2

become 1 comes into place and the cycle goes on to build synchrony of cognitive,

affective and psychomotor as an evolutionary succession process in one firm element.

This is where the research of Abanes (2019) regarding Reclaiming the Role of

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Philosophy in Education and Democracy shows that traditionality is what kept

individuals restraint their trust in the leaders and their skills and talents because the

mindset of those who are superiors is only the ones worthy of such wisdom which

reflected in the writings of Plato’s Form of Government. Likewise, Abanes supports the

Philosophy for Children that if instead of Critical and Creativity are the focus of the

appreciation and development of intellectual formation, connecting and refracting with

students of Collaboration and Care can further connect 2 individuals into better versions

of themselves and appreciating intelligence as a way of living. Needless to say,

Refraction starts which is defined by the researcher’s perspective as a process of

simultaneous connectivity of individuals towards each other and Mirroring is connecting

and becoming one with the other but when Refraction and Mirror Reflection combines

where the Critical and Creativity come from Refraction and understanding the person’s

capabilities comes from the Mirror through Care and Collaboration results into the

perfect stagnant synchrony of the Philosophy for Children. As an augment, consider the

reflective ideas about Refractive Mirroring.

In terms of Developing Human Critical Thinking for this matter as the address

stated earlier, Bamba (2019) elaborates on Orstein’s ideas that readiness and mastery are

key to having a good learning experience for students. This hugely points to the need to

both know the student's strengths and weaknesses as well as common scenarios

encountered to know proper assessments for students. He also added trust and

connectivity necessary to fully observe proper assessment of students. This gives good

major points on connectivity to the needs of students for attacking to same strategies like

using traditional approaches especially knowing the current situation of readiness is not

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compatible since again he stated: "proper assessment is needed". Moreover, he added an

important key element a teacher needs to properly execute, “The art of critical

questioning” Bamba siting Ornstein gives a point for awakening the inner potentials of

student’s learning processes to maximize both the readiness of students to learn and the

mastery of the execution of the lesson as a guide on how this essence is utilized. It is not

enough for individuals now in a digital world to be assessed in a mastery alone. The

readiness part comes if the student clearly understood it through a metacognitive

approach. This is where Abanes in synthesis to Orstein’s points that at a young age,

students should learn to be Caring, Collaborative, Creative and Critical. The Critical part

now lies in how the teacher navigates the whole teaching process depending on the

learning environment where the teacher is in and in terms of technology since everybody

has accessibility, both teachers and students should use its features creatively for full

optimal navigation in case of virtual disruptions or unforeseen circumstances. In support,

in his current journal Reassessing Teacher Training and Teacher quality through

Filipino Philosophy of Education (Abanes, 2022) critically sees the colonialism of the

educational standpoint that despite the Spiral curriculum built in the K to 12 curricula, it

seems it only revolutionize traditionality over revolutionizing what is necessary in the

adaptation to the evolution of the world reflecting modern Filipinos with strong

nationalistic essence with a thirst for global competitiveness towards showing the

Filipinoness of Filipinos across the world. To address this, the basics of a unique Filipino

shall follow like hospitality, respect and Bayanihan or in other words, connective

humanistic with clever intellectual attributes. Unfortunately, this essence is lacking

lustered and sometimes overruled by colonialism mindsets that indirectly, the imbalance

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of Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Caring are in jeopardy which exposes

the latest trends that relativism and individualism are highly observed nowadays

(Bolaños, 2022). As a result, the educational standpoint only guides an individual's

mastery and understanding rather than the characterization of using wisdom to connect

with people. Not to mention Wilson (2016) quoting Benjamin's Bloom's Taxonomy of

Affective Domain highly emphasizes that Affective is the key to all learnings where

receiving is the lowest level wherein it is simplifying the awareness of feelings and

emotions for it involves passively paying attention and being aware of the existence of

certain ideas, concepts or Phenomenon. Nevertheless, without this level, no learning can

occur. That means to say, the synthesis of the 4 elements of Philosophy for Children

should strictly reflect upon the approach itself for it serves as the bridge between

academic motivation, drive and eagerness. Moreover, one thing to note about Wilson's

claim in connection with the said Approach being discussed is the crucial element factor

of each variable of the elements of the Affective Domain is strictly harmonizes to one

another not just individual entities but rather a synchronized one entity that bridges the

strong foundation of forming the Cognitive and Psychomotor processes in the learning

processes of students. Now the question arises of how these 4 elements: Critical

Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Care now be present in learning now Refractive

Mirroring is being utilized which now the researcher addresses Abanes and Bolaños’

concern? Grasping the full idea of this research, here is an overview and introduction of

what is expected to come.

As an exposition, the researcher qualitatively in terms of its feedback and

quantitatively see the assessment and supporting feedback through surveys before and

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after application of the Refractive Mirroring Approach to implicate this study in 1 class

specifically; the researcher’s BSED English I-A class of Concepcion Holy Cross College

Students chose the said approach towards developing the totality of their wellbeing

addressing the said issues of cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains as one to

build a holistic person towards personhood utilizing this in a strict Descriptive Mixed

Method Approach where the Quantitative measures its coherence feedbacks of the

Approach base on the participant’s responses and Qualitative for the implementation of

the said Approach to see its initial strengths and weaknesses. In addition, 6 random

Teachers teaching English subjects are going to observe the class for 5 weeks to aid the

validity of the Approach by giving their constructive feedback in teaching English for the

enhancement of the Approach’s essence. Next, for giving both formative and post-test 4

Educators and a Philosopher validate both assessments in organizing, checking and

balancing the flow of the implication of the approach utilizing creating and validating

assessments, activities and its flow which aids the measuring efficiency of the Approach

to be rigorous which is going to be finalized and checked by the thesis adviser. All

research variables are constructed by the researcher itself hugely based on the references

of different theories discovered basing it on all elements of the Communicative Language

Teaching, Dessuggestopedia, Community of Inquiry and the Philosophy for Children

element to augment each variable of the said Approach to formulate the Refractive

Mirroring Approach itself. Next, upon getting the appropriate tools for observing the

Approach’s essence in implicating it for virtual learning platforms, an application of the

Approach is now executed rotating into 5 topics upon testing specifically, under the

Theoretical Linguistics of “The Structure of English Language” part: Structuralism: An

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Overview, Phonology for 2 meetings, Lexicons and Morphology in a virtual classroom

setting via Google Meet with 6 English Teachers as observers to see the strengths and

weaknesses of this approach. Meanwhile, to avoid confirmation biases, a pilot testing of

the assessment tool for feedback via surveying the approach and assessment through

Summative Tests of students are utilized in detecting outliers as well as validating the

assessment tool's reliability to strengthen its rigorous results.

One thing to note here is the research is not strictly a comparative study of

applying the Refractive Mirroring Approach to other pedagogical techniques rather, the

assessment tool for measuring the Approach not being implemented versus the

Approach’s implementation is solely utilized as a supplementary and clarity tool in

gathering a concrete data for seeing the full picture behind the approach itself not by

seeing its effectiveness between 2 different Approaches for the major goal of the study

highly focuses on its dry run to see if the approach is ready for implementation or needs

further development basing on the results gathered which seeing the comparison of the

Approach differs from applying the Refractive Mirroring Approach as an Approach itself.

Finally, once all information is collected, the results lead either to development or to see

a new way of dealing with student's total well-being benefiting Teachers this Approach

can be fully utilized in virtual class settings and Students whose learning processes are

going to be compatible in virtual class settings under the aspects of the determination in

learning any said topics to be discussed, Administrators to develop and innovate

curriculum planning, designing, implementation and evaluation as well as Future

Researchers utilizing this new research discovery leading this as a guide of incorporating

Refractive Mirroring Approach as an option for innovating curriculum designs or

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implementations in classroom discussions and future researches enhancing further to its

full potential of this approach. Take note that the results of the said research can vary on

what the idea of the development or even implementation of the said Approach is

utilized.

Conceptual Framework

Refractive Mirroring Approach is a process that focuses first on the personality

and intellectual level of an individual before connecting for the formation of the totality

of one’s wellbeing. In addressing problems in the learning processes of individuals, this

research focuses on new approaches to teaching the youth specifically in college settings.

Needless to say, the process of the research explains the variables of its flow below.

The processes are now being tested in a mixed descriptive method in the

Researcher’s BSED English I-A class together with 6 English Teachers of Concepcion

Holy Cross College as observers on the said class to dry run this Approach seeing its

strengths and weaknesses in terms of the learning processes of the class. The Refractive

Mirroring Approach’s Framework is highly illustrated on how the flow of the research

goes from before implementing and after implementing the said Approach with both the

feedback from students on their learning experience to see its effectiveness and teachers

to see the how the Approach differs and critically sees what ideas are needed for

improvement leading it towards polishing the Approach’s implementation in all aspects

of the academe as well as comparing their performances after implementing it. Also, one

key point here is the research flow divides into segments on purely seeing their

performances before utilizing the past results of their learnings in one subject in English

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of all participants Performance before the Implementation of as well as
the Refractive Mirroring Approach
surveying in augmenting for

clear coherent feedback of the application of the Approach without tainted of

confirmation biases.

The following is the structural framework of how the research flows to get the

overall concreteness of the application of the said Approach.

Refractive Mirroring Approach

Implementation for 5 Weeks

BSED English I-A class BSED English I-A class

Introducing
Before the
Applying Refractive Refractive Mirroring Approach
After Applying Refractive
Mirroring Approach Mirroring Approach

English Teachers’ BSED English I-A

Constructive Feedback Class’ Feedback

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 Refractive Mirroring: An Innovative Approach to Teaching English
Language

Figure 1. Refractive Mirroring Framework Implementation Flow

Figure 1 shows how Refractive Mirroring implements in the study. The first one

exposes all the previous data regarding the last semester of the BSED English I-A of

Concepcion Holy Cross College, Inc. on how the class goes regularly and see their

performances without implementing the Refractive Mirroring through their last semester

grades in one of their English class. Afterward, the implementation of the Refractive

Mirroring Approach comes for 5 weeks to see the coherence of its aftermath of students

upon applying it together 6 teachers observing as a basis of deep constructive criticism.

Next is comparing both the data before and after applying the Refractive Mirroring

Approach through feedbacking of students and teachers determines the quality level of

innovativeness leading to improvement of the approach or even recommendation of its

Opportunities for the Improvement of the Refractive

Mirroring Approach

implementation or exposition of the idea across the world of education. Afterward, the

feedback from both students and teachers is synthesized to see the areas for improvement

to fully utilize the approach in its full optimization. Finally, the implementations of the

results determine the overall status of the idea that can supplement and guide

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Administrators and Supervisors in incorporating this Approach in developing curriculum

designs or implementations.

Statement of the Problem

This research aims to Innovate the Pedagogical Approach by creating the

Refractive Mirroring in teaching the BSED English I-A class. Specifically, it sought to

answer the following questions:

1. What is the performance of the students in English before the implementation of

the Refractive Mirroring Approach?

2. What is the performance of the students in English after the implementation of the

Refractive Mirroring Approach?

3. How is the feedback on the implementation of the Refractive Mirroring Approach

described by the following?

3.1. Students

3.2. English Teachers

4. Is there a significant difference between the performances of the respondents

before and after the implementation of the Refractive Mirroring Approach?

5. What opportunities for improvement could strengthen the implementation of the

Refractive Mirroring Approach?

6. What are the implications of the results in Administration and Supervision?

Hypothesis

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 This research utilizes the Null Hypothesis basis to determine the difference in the

performance of the students before and after the implementation of the Refractive

Mirroring Approach in Teaching at a 0.05 level of significance.

Ho: There is no significant difference between the performance of the students before

and after the Implementation of the Refractive Mirroring Approach.

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